THE RAM’S HEAD REVIEW

NOVEMBER 10, 2006

Wow! Our meetings keep getting better and better. Eleven of us last night with lots to read and discuss. Jean brought snacks, and so did Susan. Nathaniel and I finished up the bottle of wine he brought last week. It was a good time.

Bob told us of all the research he’d been doing for his history of the jewellery business. He brought an article from the Province, by Daniel Kalla on how he writes a chapter for a novel. Then Bob read to us about A & B Gem Jewellers Ltd. which was located at Capilano Mall. It was opened by Alex Badke who came to Canada in 1953 from Europe. He worked in watchmaking first in Winnipeg, then Dawson Creek and then moved to Vancouver in 1959. He opened his own store in 1967, and eventually retired in 1995.

Carolann brought a history of “Taps”, which Ann read aloud to us. Whether true or not, it was a tear jerker, and we were all glad to have the words to that song. Carolann also had a picture of her great uncle in uniform during WWI. He belonged to the Royal Nfld. Regiment. Carolann also had a poem of her own that had been published in The Langley Times called “The Soldier”.

Margaret read another story from her Peabody Collection. This woman is amazing. A short story every week. This one is a ghost story, where a young engaged couple, she in England and he in India, die at the same time and her body is found with a button from his jacket in her hand. Rev. Peabody performed the funeral service. Haunting story.

Ellie read some more about Syvald who was feeling disturbed there were enemies behind and in front of them. He also worried about dwindling supplies and how to protect the young girl he was trying to take back to her homeland, even though she spoke a dialect nobody understood.

Ann read to us her rewrite of “Sacrifice” in which she has added a newspaper clipping about her uncle becoming a prisoner of war during WWI.

Jean read her memoir, “A House Divided”, which starts telling about her mother’s young adult years in Ontario at the beginning of WWII. Her mother, a protestant, married a Catholic who smoked and drank excessively. Consequently, her mother’s family stayed away from Jean’s family and had little to do with them.

I read the one paragraph I had written on using the craft of writing in business applications. Lynette kept nodding her head, agreeing that sometimes that is all you get to write in a week, business correspondence.

Nathaniel read about the Brigade having armed conflict with the Indians and being able to escape without having to give them half their supplies. Alexander is loathe to pursue battle when he is responsible for the welfare of the women and the settlers. They travel up-river to Jack River House, a crude settlement. They learn that the Red River settlement has been torched and settlers scattered, some of whom are now at Jack River. The factor, Mr. Lynch, is described as a “little” man. Alexander learns Selkirk is trying to take the land away from the halfbreeds. He takes a keg of rum and goes out on the river in a canoe, in the dark, alone with his deep longing for Rose. The canoe just keeps going around in circles as he drinks his rum and yearns. (I loved that scene.)

Susan didn’t read, but did tell us how she split the last chapter she read into two, heightening the tension and making it more suitable for a young adult readership who probably don’t like long chapters. She asked for ways to make the logging company seem totally responsible for the death of the kidnapper’s husband. We suggested she make him a faller, killed when he fells a tree being poached by the company who contracted his work. He was deliberately given the wrong GPS location for falling.

Gemma said she is working on her collection of dog stories, getting them ready for possible submissions?

Check out our website. I believe Sonny has all our Remembrance Day submissions posted. We did well with such short notice. Here’s to the Rams! www.ramsheadwriters.ca

Next meeting here at my place, Thursday, November 16th at 7:00 p.m. May your Muse be haunting you till then.

Lisa